A wireless access system provides a communication service to a user through a wireless channel. The wireless access system includes a plurality of base stations (BSs) communicating with user terminals (e.g., mobile stations (MSs)). The BSs provide wireless access to MSs located in a predetermined range of geographical area that is called a cell. The movement of MSs may change a cell for providing wireless access to each MS. This may also change the number of MSs located in each cell.
A BS provides wireless access to MSs in the BS's own cell, communicates with a core network through a backhaul network, and communicates data with the MSs. Thus, if many MSs access the BS, the amount of traffic may exceed the capacity of the backhaul network as well as the wireless channel of the BS. This may degrade the quality of service.
What is therefore needed is an inter-cell load balancing scheme for preventing an inter-cell load imbalance to maintain the quality of service.